Letter to the Editor: Needed: Open dialogue on pipeline project

Friday

Jun 30, 2017 at 7:03 AM

Regarding this publication’s recent article on the Rover Pipeline (“Canton officials monitoring water supply during Rover investigation,” June 19), the coordinated effort on behalf of Rover officials, state regulators, and local authorities to swiftly contain and remediate the accidental release of drilling fluid demonstrates the importance of open lines of communication among all stakeholders in incidents of this nature. Through proactive response plans and concerted coordination, routine occurrences like these can be efficiently and properly addressed.

It’s important to note that horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is an industrywide best practice employed by a variety of construction projects to ensure minimal impacts to waterways, roads, and other sensitive areas. Bentonite clay, the material used during HDD, is a nontoxic, naturally occurring substance that was developed in conjunction with HDD techniques to protect the environment from any long term impacts from construction processes.

As we’ve witnessed with the Rover Pipeline, construction accidents can happen — but the situation has also verified that the combination of a quick response by authorities and nontoxic construction materials can lead to speedy mitigation of any incidents. Rover officials, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency representatives, and Canton administrators have underscored that an open dialogue leads to speedy solutions.

BILL GODSEY, LONGVIEW, TEXAS

Owner, Environmental Consultants and Contractors

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